Blade mill



Sept. 3, 1940- w. L.. MAxsoN BLADE MILL Filed July 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m o o o o m o o o o o o .o o o QN o o o o uN\ l l. o m.\ o m,\ o wv TN. o o o o o o o o QN Il@ Il O o W o o o o o o NN WN WN MY Sept. 3, 1940. w. L.. MAxsoN BLADE MILL Filed July 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MII-.m c@ 9 a Patented Sept. 3, 1940 PATET @ECE BLADE MILL Walter L. Maxson, Wauwatosa, Wis., assigner to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application July 22, 1937, Serial No. 154,946

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an ore and gravel Washer or scrubber, hereinafter referredV to as a blade mill.

The blade mill of this invention comprises a lrotatable cylinder which carries on its inner wall a plurality of lifting and cutting blades which are mounted at an adjustable angle with the axis 4of the cylinder. Means are provided for feeding raw material at one end 0f the cylinder, and an adjustable discharge means is provided at the other end, so that the depth of the material being treated may be adjusted therein. The angle `of the blades determines the cutting effect and the height to which material may be lifted by the blade, and the axial speed of the material being treated. The adjustment of the discharge means, coacting with the rate of feed, determines the depth of bed of material in the mill, and therefore the amount of Washing to which it is subjected.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a rugged and eiiicient blade mill for washing gravel, ore, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mill having blades set at an adjustable angle with the aXis of the mill, to vary the rate of progress of material through the mill.

A more specific objectis to provide a blade mounting in which the blade and its support are provided with interengaging portions engageable in any one of a plurality of positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vblade mill having a variable depth discharge mea-ns.

A more specic object of the invention is to provide a mill in which the discharge means comprises adjustable and/or interchangeable lifters of different lengths.

A further object of the invention is to provide v4a blade mill having blades set at an adjustable angle and having a variable discharge means whereby the speed of material through the mill, the depth of bed of material therein and the washing and scrubbing action of the mill may be controlled by the operator in accordance with the type and condition of raw material treated in the mill.

Further objects of the invention will be understood from the description and claims appended hereto, taken in conjunction with the drawings forming a part hereof.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a central, sectional elevation view of the assembled blade mill of this invention, taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View of the discharge means taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 2a is a fragmentary view of a modified dise charge element;

Fig. 3`is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modiiied form of discharge means; '15 Fig. 4 is a plan view of a liner member on which a blade and its support may be mounted;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of same along line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan View of a blade supporting -10 member;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of same along line VII-VII of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan View of a blade member;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view thereof;

Fig. l0 is a plan View of a blade supporting member with a blade mounted therein; and

Fig. l1 is a sectional elevational view thereof along line XI-XI of Fig. 10.

The blade mill of this invention comprises a '120 generally cylindrical drum or tube l5 suitably supported on a foundation I6 for rotation at variable speed by any known means (not shown). The mill may be provided with an inlet trunnion receiving raw material from hopper il. On its 25 interior the mill is provided with lifting and cutting blades I8 carried by blade supports i9 which are mounted on special liner blocks 20. It is to be understood that all of these liner blocks, or certain ones only, may have blades mounted i thereon, as may be desired. The blades may be all mounted at the same angle with the axis of the mill or, as shown in Fig. l, some of the blades may be mounted at a different angle. While only one row of blades is shown in Fig. 1, it is to be '35 understood that any -desired number of rows of blades may be used in practice. The cylinder may be pro-vided with manholes, not shown, to facilitate repair, exchangel or adjustmentr of blades and lining. A

The discharge end of the mill is provided with scoops 22 which rotate with the mill for lifting the washed material onto the conical discharge plate 23, from which the materia] is discharged through discharge trunnion 24. An equalizer 45 drum 25 and a baffle 25 may be provided for reducing the surges produced by the vscoops in material leaving the mill.

Each of the scoops 22 comprises spaced side plates 28 which are rigidly fixed to the cylinder 15.0 I5, and are rigidly connected by bottom plate 29 and bar 30. A plurality of adjustable and interchangeable scoop plates 3l. of different lengths are provided. The operator may select a set of plates 3| of any desired length and removably and .5 5

les

adjustably fasten themon bars 30 between side plates 28. It will be seen that for any given length greater or lesser length.

Fig. 2a discloses a scoop similar to those of Fig. 2, except that the scoop blade 3i is radially adjustable. Adjustment is effected by moving blade 3i radially inward or outward, the retaining bolts of blade 3i sliding in suitable slots in supporting bar 3D, as shown. It is obvious that the removable plates SI of Fig'. 2 may also be adjustable, as shown in Fig. 2a.

A modified scoop plate 32 is shown in Fig. 3. This is similar to scoop plate 3l of Fig. 2 except that the plate is extended to reach bottom plate 29, the outer portion of the scoop plate 32 Abeing perforated. The operation of the scoop of Fig. 3 is the same as that of Fig. 2 except that the former will pick up large pieces of the material being treated to discharge them, regardless. of the-depth of the bed,-Whereas the latter can pick up material only when the depth of the Ybed exceeds the radial distance between the end of scoop plate SI and bottom plate 29. Scoop plates 32 are not adjustable on bars 30., Y

Special liner blocks 2B are illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. These liner blocks are generally arcuate in form; to t on the inside of drum I5, to which they may be attached by means of bolts or other fastening means. Each such liner block is provided with a flat, circularseat Mtogether with means for fastening a blade support thereto. Eachoof the blade supports I9 comprises a generally ilat, circular or partly circular base plate 35 provided with two or more pairs of bolt vholes 35. lEach pair of bolt holes 3E is adapted to be alined with bolt holes 31 in liner block 29, so that the blade support maybe attached to thefliner plate in one of two or more angular positions. It will be noted thatin the specific construction illustrated by Figs. 4 to l1, the

vblade support maybe mounted on liner block 2U Ato in either of two positions; and that the pitch `of the effective helix formed by blades IB may be reversed by changing the blade support from one angular,l position to the other. Therefore, assuming the mill rotates in a given direction, a blade which serves to expedite the axial passage of material through the mill may be utilized to retard the axial flow of material, by changing the angular position of the blade.

Each blade support is provided with blade attaching means lcomprisinga flange 38 provided with undercut flngers`39, thus forming a dovetail groove 49. Each blade I8 is provided with tapered seating lugs 4I which have a close iit with groove Ml.

To mount the blade I3 on support I9, the blade is inserted within flange 38, seating lugs lli` being longitudinally displaced from fingers 39 so that the blade may be brought into contact with base plate 35.` The blade is then slipped forward forcibly so that seating lugs 4I fit tightly against lingers 39`in groove 46, as shown in Figs. l and 1l. To keep the blade from sliding out of its groove, the pocket 42 may be filled withzinc. The blade and its support are then mounted in seat 34 of liner block 2U, so that one pair of bolt holes 36 are alined with Abolt holes 31. A single pair of bolts passing through blade support I 9, liner block 20 and drum I5 may be utilized for fastening both liners and bladesI in ing to keep the feed hopper clear, while the remaining blades are set to prevent too rapid flow of material through the mill. The number of blades to be set either way may be determined by the operator and will depend on the size, composition and difficulty of separating clay and other impurities from the material being treated. Having set the blades in the desired arrangement and having selected and inserted scoop plate SI of suitable length, the mill is started and a mixture of material and water is fed through the hopper Il and the feed trunnion.

As the material passes through the mill, it is repeatedly cut and lifted by blades I8 and dropped back into the bed of material and water in the mill. This serves to break it up into its component parts, separating and suspending clay and similar sticky matter from the solid gravel or ore. The speed with which material passes through the mill is determined by the speed of rotation of the mill, which may be variable,

drum Z, it may be passed through any desired type of screen to dewater it and separate the gravel or ore from the finer impurities which have been detached therefrom and partially suspended in the water.

In addition to the blades being angularly adjustable, it is clear that they maybe replaced either by the substitution of new blades and supports for those that become worn, or by removing blades I8 from their supports I9 by first melting the zinc in'pockets 42 and placing new blades in the old supports. This reduces replacement costs to a minimum.

While the specific operation described is one in which the water flows in the same direction as the material, it is clear that the distinctive features of this invention are equally applicaremoved at the feed end. Neither is the invention limited to a cylindrical blade mill, as it is clear to those skilled in the art that a tapered or conical mill, or a mill which is partly conical and partlyk cylindrical, maybe used.

f "While the above descrip-tion refers in detail to the preferred form of this invention and the method of performing same, it is to'be understood that the inventionv comprehends such additions and modifications within the scope of the appendcd claims as may occur to persons skilled in the art. f

t claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

l. An ore washing mill comprising an imper- Yforate rotary tube having an end wall with a discharge passage therein, discharge means associated with said passage, scoops retained at a radially inner portion and having a radially outer longitudinal edge spaced from the periphe eral wall of said mill to determine the material level in said mill, said scoops being positioned between said discharged means and the discharge end wall oi said mill and having an edge thereof adjacent said end wall, means for varying the space between the material level determining edge of said scoops and the peripheral wall of said mill whereby the level of material in said mill may be selectively determined, and means for introducing washing fluid and ore into saidmill.

2. An ore washing mill comprising an imperforate rotary tube having an end wall with a discharge passage therein, discharge means associated with said passage, scoops retained at a radially inner portion and having a radially outer longitudinal edge spaced from th-e peripheral wall of said mill` to determine the material level in said mill, said scoops being 'substantially radially positioned between said discharge means and the discharge end wall of said mill and having an edge thereof adjacent said end wall, means for adjusting said scoops to vary the space between the material level determining edge of said scoops and the peripheral wall of said mill whereby the level of material in said mill may be selectively determined, and means for introducing ore and washing uid into said mill.

3. An ore washing mill comprising anl imperforate rotary tube having an end wall with a discharge passage therein, discharge means as sociated with said passage, interchangeable scoops retained at a radially inner portion and having a radially outer longitudinal edge spaced from the peripheral wall of said mill to determine the material level therein, said scoops being substantially radially positioned between said discharge means and the discharge end Wall of said mill and having an edge thereof adjacent said end wall, means permitting the removal of said scoops and their replacement with others of different radial length to vary the space between the material level determining edge of said scoops and the peripheral Wall of said mill` whereby the level of material in said mill may be selectively determined, and means for introducing ore and washing fluid into said mill.

4. An ore washing mill comprising an imperforate rotary tube having means for admitting washing fluid and ore through one end wall of said mill and a discharge passage in the opposite end wall thereof, angularly adjustable blade means for expediting or restraining passage oi material through said mill, discharge means associated with said discharge passage, means for selectively determining the level of material in said mill associated with said dislcharge means, said means comprising scoops retained at a radially inner portion and having a radially outer longitudinal edge spaced from the peripheral wall of said mill and another edge adjacent the discharge end wall of said mill, and means for varying the space between said longitudinal scoop edge and the peripheral wall of said mill.

5. An ore washing mill comprising an imperforate rotary tube having an axial feed opening in one end wall of the tube and an axial discharge opening in the opposite end wall of the tube, a circular plate spaced from the discharge end of the tube and from the periphery of the tube, said plate including a central conical portion, the apex of which extends to theend wall of the tube, radial blades secured to the conical portion and extending between the end wall and the plate, and plate members adjustably secured to the radial blades with thin outer ends spaced from the peripheral wall of the tube.

WALTER L. MAXSON. 

